HORRABRIDGE Rangers Football Club is hoping for further backing from Dartmoor's planners for an ambitious scheme to extend its premises in time for its centenary this year.

The club wants to go for lottery funding to update existing toilet facilities, showers, kitchen, storage space and provide a hospitality area at the sports pavilion at the Fillace Park ground.

It already had planning permission from Dartmoor National Park Authority but this ran out last October and the club needs to renew consent to help with a second lottery bid.

Fillace Park is situated in the centre of the village and is owned by the parish council which licences the use of the pavilion and two football pitches to the football club.

The flourishing club, which has its own website, runs three junior teams and a senior team and has plans to increase the junior section this season.

However, the parish council is against the move and considers the proposed pavilion is out of proportion to the available land. It has also raised concern over the use and future maintenance of the building.

And more than 20 people signed a petition against the plans.

They are worried about the existing traffic which is attracted to the site on match days and are concerned the enlarged facility and the introduction of a hospitality area and bar would lead to an increase in late night disturbance.

In a report which will go before DNP tomorrow (Friday), park officer Christopher Hart said planning permission for a replacement pavilion was granted in October, 1994.

'This was for a building of a slightly different design but essentially on the same footprint as that now proposed,' said Mr Hart. 'It is considered that the principle is still acceptable and that while the new pavilion would be significantly larger than the existing one, it would provide facilities which are appropriate to the proposed use.'

He said adequate on-site parking was provided by the recently constructed car park which is next to the proposed building.

In recommending granting permission, he asked the club to clarify the nature of the exisiting use and give a clearer indication of the days and times that the new facility would be used.